"Employers in industries such as engineering, IT, life sciences, financial services and professional services have higher demand for talent than those in low-skill industries," Deligiannis says.

"As it takes time to undertake the training necessary to work in these industries, it makes them more vulnerable to skill shortages since the number of people qualified to start work cannot be changed quickly."

Australia has increased from 5 to 5.1 on the overall index, indicating increased pressure in the job market.

The index is calculated through an analysis of equally weighted indicators, including 4.5 for talent mismatch - up from 4.2 a year earlier.

Overall wage pressure remains steady at 6.7, suggesting that most employers remain conscious of costs rather than use salary as a bargaining chip for talent.